Former employee fined for unlawfully obtaining personal data from his employer

A former employee of Leicester City Council has been ordered to pay a total of £544.08 after pleading guilty at Nuneaton Magistrates’ Court to unlawfully obtaining personal data under section 55 of the Data Protection Act.

After the employee left its Adult Social Care Department and set up his own business, an investigation by the Council revealed that he had sent information relating to 349 users of Council services (including their financial, care and medical details) to a private email account.

Head of Enforcement at the Information Commissioner's Office, Steve Eckersley, stated: "Employees need to understand the consequences of taking people's personal information with them when they leave a job role. It's illegal and when you're caught, you will be prosecuted." In this case, the employee was fined £160 and was ordered to pay £364.08 in prosecution costs and a £20 victim surcharge.